User-Submitted Photos of Leah

Popularity Over Time: How Many Girls Have Been Named Leah

This chart illustrates how many Girls were named Leah in the U.S. since 1880.

A few facts about the girl's name Leah:

Records indicate that 193,322 girls in the United States have been named Leah since 1880.

The greatest number of people were given this name in 2009, when 6,713 people in the U.S. were given the name Leah. Those people are now 8 years old.

So ... how do we know this stuff? Baby Names Hub identifies trends by analyzing vast amounts of data made available by the U.S. government and other public sources. This data, including social security statistics, provides detailed information on baby name popularity and trends in the United States.

Comments about the name Leah

92%

Approval RatingBased on the comments submitted below

76 Positive Comments

"My name is leah, and i really love the name. Its simple and i think it suits me very well. The only problem is in school, in role call my name is ALWAYS mispernounced like lee. My name is suppose to be prounounced lee-uh. Some teachers even thing its lay-uh. But overall i find it short and simple and easy to remember. I have only meet a few other Leahs so Its not too common, but also not too obscure. Great name." Sep. 18, 2015:

"my name is leah and in my primary school there was 4 leahs and there are 3 leahs in my secondary school and my art teachers neice is called leah!!leah is such a popular name!!:D" Nov. 4, 2014:

"My name is Leah Marie and I'm 20 years old. I absolutely love it, though I went through a phase in middle school where I wanted to change it. I have only known 4 other girls named Leah and 1 Leigha. Infact, I didn't know anyone with my name until high school. People always compliment my name, which I love. I don't like how it regularly gets pronounced Lee. As if people don't know what sounds letters make. My parents chose it out of the bible and liked it because it wasn't common but still very pretty. I have gotten plenty of star wars comments, a lot of "See ya, Leah"s, and a male teacher in 7th grade started singing "Ah, Leah" by Donnie Iris the first time he met me, in front of the class. Awkward. Still, it's a fun conversation starter, I wouldn't trade it for anything." Jan. 2, 2012:

"My name is LEAH MEGHAN and i love my name, but some teachers call me Laya and Lee and its so annoying sometimes i just want to scream at them :@:P <3" Oct. 18, 2011:

"My name is leah jade cargill.I love my name and i think its a bit original.Some of my mates call me Lee.Sometimes i dont mind and other times i just wanna bellow my names leah.I love the name and im glad I was called it!" Aug. 25, 2011:

"My name is Leah Nicole, I am 39 & quite like my name. As a child & teen I did not like my name finding it very plain but back then I thought the name Kristine & Kerri were so fantastic, but as I matured I grew to appreciate the softness of my name which I believe is very femenine. Thanks mom & Dad ~" Aug. 23, 2011:

"im another Leah with a middle name Anne i love the Leah not so keen on the Anne tho!" Feb. 27, 2011:

"My wife and I named our youngest daughter Leah. I like both Hebrew (Lay-Uh) and English (Lee-UH) pronunciations. I find the name fits her well as she is quite feminine and dainty and always cheerful. Its such a pretty name." Dec. 4, 2010:

"My name is Leah (pronounced Lee-uh). I am 13. People always say my name wrong. I get Lee and Leia (like Princess Leia) from teachers. This one kid at a camp I went to called my Leia. It got SSSSOOOO annoying. Sometimes I get Lei (like a Hawaiian lei of flowers). I've been wondering how that person got Lei!! Not a lot of people spell it wrong, though, but when they do, its always Leigha.
I love my name though. I love how it means "Mistress or ruler". That's how I feel sometimes, like a mistress, since I am the oldest kid in our family." Aug. 7, 2010:

"My name is Leah and I really don't have to much trouble with it be mispronounced. I have always loved my name and would recommend it to anyone that is having a little girl. I only know 2 maybe 3 other Leah's. Leah Beth" Aug. 6, 2010:

"My daughter, born 12/8/09 is named Leah Shea. I love the name, I hope she likes it when she's a "big girl"" May. 7, 2010:

"My daughter was born in 2009 and I named her Leah (lee-ah). I thought the name was so cute simple and classic. Her middle name is Marie which is a family name.. looks like Leah Marie is pretty common though.. I still think its a beautiful name :)" May. 7, 2010:

"My name is Leah and I pronounce it Lee-a. I'm 13. I like the way it sounds and I don't think it very plain just short and I like that about it. I have only met a couple people with this name. I like that it not super common but not weird either. My middle name is also Marie. I am happy with it and wouldn't want it to be any thing else." Apr. 13, 2010:

"I have a friend called leah and she is well cool she is blondish and well fit" Jan. 6, 2010:

"my name is Leah and i am 11 years old. i hate it when people spell my name wrong. a boy at my school spells it like this. Leagh. i dont know why but he does. i love my name xxxxxxxx" Jan. 3, 2010:

"Hi im leah and im 9 I love my name becuse my dad kolls me boo and I like to shop and my favrit fruit is green appels and may favrit food is ice cream and gess what my dad was going to kold me ? HANAH but thay kold me leah and im in 3td graed well die" Jan. 1, 2010:

"Hi My Name Is Also Leah,Im Twelve Years Old And I Love My Name Because I Know What It Means,I Get Called LeeLee,Princess Leia,babie lee,Elle Love,Lay-ahh,lee,leah boo and so much moree,But,I LOVE MY NAME.Its Pronounced Lee-Uhhh.!I Have A Friend Named Lia Dec. 2, 2009:

"I am a Leah pronounced Lee-ah. The way my name is spelt is the traditional way. I too get Princess Leia a lot and considering Leah and Leia are the same name depending on the accent. I am older then Star Wars and heard the jokes for over 30 years.LOL! I have a few American friends and I have been called either and it doesn't bother me. But sometimes I have been called just Lea pronounced Lee too its like they think the h is silent." Nov. 30, 2009:

"My name's Leah. When I was little I didn't really like it. But after I looked it up on the 'net I found out that it means "love and beauty" I started to like it. People also called me Princess Leia, too. It got SO annoying." Oct. 8, 2009:

"I had to laugh. On the submission on July 25, someone said they liked it as a middle name or paired with another name like marie. Leah Marie. That's my middle name. Ahhhh the plainness yet sweetness of it all..." Oct. 8, 2009:

"I like the name Leah, but I think it makes a better middle name, because it's plain. Still a very cute name! Would make a good first name paired with another name too, maybe like Leah Marie. My friend is named Leah" Jul. 25, 2009:

"I love love love the name Leah. Which ever way you want to pronounce it (laya or lee-ah), it still sounds beautiful to me. I've only met 2 Leah's in my lifetime and can honestly say, these two people inspired me in naming my one and only daughter Leah because they were the sweetest people i've ever known! I hope my daughter is happy with the name i chose her.....Leah...music to my ears." Jul. 9, 2009:

"This is not my name but has always been in my life, I had two best friends one in kindergarden whose was spelled Lia and one from 4th to 6th grade spelled Leah, their names were pronounced Lee-ah. Now one of my eldest daughter, aged 7, has Lea (pronounced Lay-a) as a middle name. The overall response is positive, it is spelled in Italian as she is half Italian." Jun. 24, 2009:

"my name is leah (pronounced Laya for the most part for its hebrew pronunciation). I always liked my name but as an adult i've come to appreciate even more. Leah is a relatively common name amongst orthodox jews so i am not so unique in my community. Still, every leah i have come across has been a sensitive individual of many layers and depth and i have always been proud to share my name with this group of people." Jun. 21, 2009:

"My name is also Leah. And I know what all of you when people say Lee. It drives me crazy. When I was younger I was the only Leah in my schools and back then I HATED my name. Now the name is becoming a lot more popular and I miss feeling like my name was unique. lol But yeah I have grown to LOVE my name." Mar. 30, 2009:

"My Name is Leah I pronounce it Le-ah I love my name. It's not very common so people remember me better. I HATE it when people call me Lee. Wow they are wayyy off. I can't even begin to tell you how many times Ive been called Princess Laya. lol I just gave up lol their close enough. :)" Mar. 11, 2009:

"My name is Leah Marie...I wondered why there wasn't but one Leah that I knew growing up. All the girls were Tiffany and Jennifer and Jessica and I liked those....but now, THANK GOD my name is Leah. If you call out the name Jennifer 18 girls turn around...lame! It's a great name and I've been complimented all of my life for it. The older I got the better I liked it!" Feb. 11, 2009:

"i named my daughter leah and i think its such a pretty name!!" Feb. 7, 2009:

"My name is Leah and people always pronounce it Lee. I love my name but that drives me crazy (I think Lee is an ugly name)! Adding an 'H' at the end clearly makes it Lee-ah, even without the 'H' it's clearly Lee-ah and yet at least 70% of people who read my name say Lee." Jan. 26, 2009:

"Ive always thought Leah was a beautiful name. So I named my daughter Leah(Lee- ah)."Leah Bre`l" Her nicknames range from LeLe, LeLo, LeHa, Bre,Breezy and Yeyah(my friends son couldnt pronounce it.) Being that shes still a baby we're uncertain which nicknames will stay with her." Jan. 19, 2009:

"My 2nd daughter is called Leah, pronounced "Lee-ah". It's a pretty name and goes well with her older sister, Polly: "Polly and Leah". They're similar but different, sort of complementary; symmetrical." Dec. 23, 2008:

"I love the name Leah, especially that my idol and favorite person in the world is named Leah..LEAH REMINI from King of Queens, if i have a daughter im going to name her LEAH :-)" Dec. 12, 2008:

"I named my daughter Lea and everyone calls her Lee and it's meant to be pronounced like Leah. I still love her name, and the way I spelled it." Dec. 5, 2008:

"my older sister's name is Leah and we used to tease her about in Star Wars, we'd call her Princess Laya*. She would blush and laugh. We call her Lee now and one of her friend's names are Leigh (pronounced Lee) and so when my mom is talking about Leah she'll call her Lee to her friends mom and they'll get all confused.
*i'm not sure how it's spelled*" Nov. 12, 2008:

"I love the name Leah. One of my favourite books (Twilight) has a girl called Leah in it and she is a great character. In general it is pronounced "Lee-ah" but the bible says otherwise. I am thinking of naming my daughter Leah, if i have one. It is a very pretty name." Oct. 8, 2008:

"my name is leim 14 and i like it alot i would have pick a better name" Sep. 29, 2008:

"My name is Leah and i pronounce it Lee-ah however my mother is jewish and in hebrew it is pronounced...lay-ah...i think either are great. when i was a kid i wanted to change my name to jennifer....im so glad that never happened" Sep. 28, 2008:

"I have not run into many other 'Leah's' and, though I do not pronounce it the same, I love being called "Princess Leia". It is often spelled without the 'h', which does not bother me. I have a good friend named Lea, and we have many interesting things in common!" Sep. 17, 2008:

"My name is Leah. It is pronounced Lee-ah. I find it beautiful. I always liked it. And with my middle name being Marie, Leah Marie always sounded gorgeous to me. Its very feminine and cute. I also enjoy the perks that I have met very few who have the same name. I like that its unique, but not unheard of." Sep. 2, 2008:

"My Name is Leah, born in 1957 not jewish but my mother thought it was beautiful and so do I. Went to high school in the 70,s so I heard all the Star Wars (Lay ah) I don't mind when people call me princess. But I go crazy if someone calls me "Lee" like its something short for Leah-IT'S NOT! Lee is a totally different feeling - kinda masculine - Leah is very pretty and very feminine. I wish I had named my daughter Leah too, she's a Taylor- my son's a Tyson" Aug. 23, 2008:

"My name is Leah, and I used to not like it, but now that I am older, I love it. Everyone in my family calls me Leigh or Le, however you want to spell it. I was always the only Leah growing up in school. I think it's a timeless name and glad I have it." Aug. 16, 2008:

"my name is leah and i pronounce it lay-ah but everyone says lee-ah! i pronounce it lay-ah because thats how my mum thought it was pronounced in the bible, and still does" Jun. 11, 2008:

"My name is Leah, and I love it. There are not too many people with this name, and anyone who has this name should be proud, it is a beautiful, feminine, and classy name." May. 28, 2008:

"My name is Leah, and I love it. There are not too many people with this name, and anyone who has this name should be proud, it is a beautiful, feminine, and classy name." May. 28, 2008:

"hello my name is leah and i luv my name but dnt u fink it is rellii anoyin wen people saii lee or lea i my name aint even spelt like that it is prounounced lee-ah but people prounounce it lee
(cought)(cought) mr mathews mi ict teacher.lool.bibi!" May. 23, 2008:

"This is my daughter's name - so, of course I love it! Her name is spelled Liah, and pronounced Lee-ah. I had a hard time deciding whether or not to add the "h" to the end. We call her Liah-Biah a lot. :) I still love the name as much as I did when I chose it nine years ago." May. 22, 2008:

"My son Robert and his wife named their 2 day old daughter Leah. She is so beautiful and she will carry her name like a true princess." May. 19, 2008:

"hi my name is leah im 16 years old nd i LOVE my name. i have lots of shirts that have my name all over it . I got a friend to spray pant my wall really big with my name on it. There's alot of girl's that has the same name .Like 4" Mar. 20, 2008:

"Leagh is my name.i love it. it is spelled Leagh but pronounced L-ee-a. it is a really unusual name. i have a few nicknames.here is a few of them.
nicknames I like:
Lee-Lee
Missa Leagh
Princess Leagh
nicknames Idon't like:
Leeza
Leagh-Peea
Lee" Mar. 16, 2008:

"LEAH IS ONE OF THE BEST NAMES IN THE WORLD.IT IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL PEACE OF JOY OF A NAME." Feb. 8, 2008:

"many people mispronounce it as "Lee" or "Lay-ah".
My name is Leah and I pronounce it as "Lee-ah".
I know of some people named Leah who do pronounce it as the Starwars Princess (as "Lay-ah")." Feb. 3, 2008:

"hi to all the people that share this beautiful name. my name is leah (pronounced lee-ah)and i love my name. i dont know many people with this name and that is why i like it.leah is the best name!" Aug. 27, 2007:

"My name is Leah - I've always liked it. It's unusual, but not "weird," and kids had a tough time coming up with ways to make fun of me with it growing up :) The only pop culture reference I've run into was Princess Leia from Star Wars (pronouned differently). It is nice short name, reasonably easy to pronounce and spell." Jul. 30, 2007:

"blah...my friends name is leah she is sweet but i hate the name" Apr. 19, 2007:

"hi all the leahs! its leah here all the way from northern ireland! we have the best name there is! i get called princess leah just coz of it. i dont mind that as a nick name:D:D" Apr. 8, 2007:

"I have always liked it(it is my name), but it is annoying to be called "Lee" which is my uncle's name." Mar. 27, 2007:

"This is my birthname and I never liked it until I changed the spelling to Lia; no one mispronounces it now :)" Mar. 20, 2007:

"Im naming my daughter Leah-Mari , and i love it it sound simple yet exotic , and will b remembered by everyone for its singularity ! i <3 it !" Feb. 23, 2007:

"Hello to other Leahs as well! I also have trouble with misspellings and mispronouncing, but it almost makes it better because it's nice to see someone spell or pronounce it right the first time and if someone cares enough, they'll work to get it right. Sometimes I dislike it, but most of the time I like it because it's so feminine, simple and sweet, plus not many people around my area seem to be named Leah." Feb. 23, 2007:

"I love my name. I think it's so unique and feminine. the only thing wrong with it is that people always pronounce it wrong. They either call me Lee or Layah...lol oh well. I am 16 and i know 3 other girls in my grade with my name as well and i was surprised to find out that 3 out of us four spell it the same way. (Leah) I wouldn't change my name for anything. :)" Jan. 17, 2007:

"of course i give it a thumbs up its my name and its beautiful!" Nov. 30, 2006:

"hehe my name is leah and i love how beautiful it its and i just love the symbolisim in the bible and in my family. its always pronoused wrong but i love it!!!" Sep. 22, 2006:

"I know a little girl named Leah Rose. Her parents pronounce it LAY-ah. They say it's the original pronunciation. Personally, I like LEE-ah. Nothing wrong with that!" Aug. 11, 2006:

"im seventeen n called leah and i have always loved my name i find it unusual for my age group and only ever met another person with it x" Aug. 7, 2006:

"People never know how to spell my name and they pronounce it "Leigh." It seems like it would be clear in this spelling. Le-ah but its not I guess. Overall everyone thinks its a very cool name and one that I wouldn't trade! I also get the star wars reference but like it as well." May. 30, 2006:

"My name is Leah and I like my name, it means "weary", but Leah was the ancestor of Jesus! a lot of people take to calling me "Princess Leah." It shows on the chart that it was reeally popular in the 80's, but I've still only ever known a handful of people with the name. Amazingly, it seems to be very difficult to pronounce and spell. I've been called : Lia, Lea, Lee, and I tell people "It's been around for thousands of years y'know." I think it's really pretty and I'm glad it's mine:-)" Mar. 9, 2006:

"Through all of my 18 years of existence, people have not been able to pronounce it right. I get the usual "Lee" or "Leia" pronunciation instead of the correct way to say my name, which is "Lee-ah". I always hated saying my name and stuff, but now I kind of like it. Although the meaning isn't really flattering." Feb. 1, 2006:

"My name is Leah. People always pronounce it wrong and spell it Lea. I like it because it is not a very common name. Its fun meeting other Leahs. Great name!!!" Jan. 24, 2006:

"I spell my dd's name Leigha which didn't even show up. I think it's so pretty spelled this way" Jan. 4, 2006:

"They pronounce in wrong and spell it wrong all the time. I always get Mia or Lee. I have only met a handful of people with it spelt this way. I love the meaning behind my name - Leah first wife of Jacob mother or the six tribes of the chosen people" Aug. 28, 2005:

"My darling daughter is Leah Gabrielle, I love this name. I think it is sweet, simple, classic, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and not too popular or trendy! A perfect name!" Aug. 8, 2005:

"yes, people often say my name wrong.at the same time people complement it" Jun. 16, 2005:

"People always spell my name wrong or pronounce it Leia, like in star wars. But I like it and lots of people have told me how pretty they think it is." Jun. 13, 2005:

7 Negative Comments

"Leah Avraham will set you free!
God is Leah!
Love is Leah!
Italia is Ita-Leah!
Australia is Autra=Leah!
In the beginning God said, let there be Leah, and Leah is good!
Leah is ChicaGod!
Leah Is AmeriGod!
There shall be no other God before Leah!
Honor thy mother Leah and thy Father HerziLeah!
Amazing Leah How sweet the sound!
Hail Leah Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee!
Holy Leah Mother of God!
What this world needs now is Leah sweet Leah!
God Bless Leah and Leah Bless God!
Its very nice to be important but its more impportant to be Nice Leah!
Peace on Earth begins with Leah!
The whole world is a single Leah!
Love thy Leah as thyself!
Thou shall not lie Leah!
Thou shall not Steal Leah!
Thou shall not kill Leah!
Thou shall not commit adutery Leah!
Leah is a Jewish American Princess!
Leah is a J.A.P.!
Leah in the morning, Leah in the evening, Leah at suppertime, won't you be my Leah and love Leah all the time!
When I go to sleep I never count sheep I count all the charms about Leah!
Good light leah!" May. 3, 2010:

"My name is Leah, I'm twenty years old and I absolutely, purely hate it! I didn't mind it as much as a kid but when I got into my teens, mostly my late teens, it just sounded so childish. When I complained about when my mother named me that name she said, "It was unique at the time! If you hate it so much, change it love." I would love to change it but when I ask people to what, they say, "Nothing. Your name suits you.."" Dec. 30, 2009:

"my name is beth and i have a friend leah, our names are the same because the second letter is an "e" and the fourth letter is an "h," exsept instead of an "l" i have a "b" and instead of an "a" i have a "t." i love my name and i own many a shirt with it spray-painted on." Jul. 28, 2008:

"My name is Rhea I have a friend that is Leah
They are like the same exsept I have a R at the starting of my name she has a L." Jun. 4, 2008:

"My name is Rhea I have a friend that is Leah
They are like the same exsept I have a R at the starting of my name she has a L." Jun. 4, 2008:

"Leah is pretty. WAY WAY better than those other Biblical names like Rebecca. BORING REBECCA. I do wonder if the name as noted by others would cause confusion with spelling and pronounciation." Mar. 13, 2008: